The original collectable card game (CCG), where players purchase packs of randomized cards and assemble decks used to compete against others. Created by the Washington-based company Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering achieved great popularity in the early-to-mid 1990s, and paved the way for other CCGs such as Legend of the Five Rings and Pokemon. Magic: The Gathering still remains popular to this day, although not to the same level as it used to.

The Urban Dictionary Mug

Magic: Gathering is a trading card game first put onto stores shelves in 1993. It's foundational mechanics went on to inspire many other games, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh currently being the most famous. It also invented the prospect of tournaments for trading card games, which did not exist at the time.

Magic is a worldwide phenomenon, and has developed it's own list of dozens of slangwords. Magic itself is typically known as Magic: The Gathering, MTG, or just Magic for players who play it more exclusively than other games for which the word “magic” could easily be confused.

More players play magic today than ever before, showing a clear upward trend in popularity over the last 10 years. Reports by Hasbro, the parent company of MTG, put the figure at “around 6 million” in 75 countries in 2003, while current(2016) unprofessional estimates are at anywhere from 8-15 million globally.

The game was invented by Richard Garfield with the financial support of WotC, the latter now owning the game in it's entirety and the former currently receiving royalties. Despite his lack of direct control over the game since the late 90s, Richard Garfield still contributes to the game sporadically, and is considered by many to be a pillar of the community and is known by Magic players internationally.

The game is known best for it's simplest mechanics by those who've never played it, these principle mechanics being 5 colors and resource building involving “lands” and “non-lands”.

Magic: The Gathering is a game like any other. The company prints things on cardboard and it turns into money. Might as well cut out the middle man and print money.

Person A: Magic The Gathering Players are fat vrigins.
Person B: Did you know that the player base of Magic: The Gathering in the United States has a 10% lower rate on obesity than the national average? How about we talk about issues that matter instead?

The Urban Dictionary Mug

A TCG created by Richard Garfield, but now owned by Wizards of the Coast. Although commonly associated with nerds, this game has been known to be played by anyone. The game is meant to symbolize powerful wizards doing battle by summoning monsters and the like.

Each player starts with 20 life, a hand of 7 cards, and must have a deck of at least 60 cards. A player can die by loosing all his/her life, or by being forced to draw a card when she has no cards left in her deck, or by the bullshit card Door to Nothingness. You win the game by killing off all opponents, or by cards that say you win when you meet a certain prerequisite. Many cards are banned or restricted (only one is allowed per deck), usually the older cards, or many of the cards from the mirrodin set, because of the hundreds of instant-win combos. The game is not entirely based on card supremecy; a particulaly skilled player could easily win with a premade deck.

I get thrown out of Friday Night Magic: The Gathering tournements because of my Mirrodin-block Krark-Clan Ironworks deck (now featuring 17 instant-win combos).

The Urban Dictionary Mug

The greatest trading card game ever. It must have been doing something right if it's lasted 11 years and is still in a growth phase.

Oh, and contrary to populare belief, you don't have to spend oodles of money just to win... That's why it's a TRADING card game, and why it's especially amusing to bolt together decks like U/G Madness or KCI and wipe the floor with all those moneycard-toting individuals.

The Urban Dictionary Mug

The name of the world's current most effective form of birth control. Is also effective at preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Provides protection to players are protected in three ways:
1.) 91.2% Effective that girlswill no longer associate themselves with you.
2.) 94.3% Effective that you will be to involved in the game to have time for girls.
3.) 99.99% Effective that whatever girls do associate themselves with you and play the game, you will not want to have sex with.

Sex Ed Teacher: Alright boys, now I want you all sign and keep these Magic: The Gathering Cards in your wallet, as to be sure to prevent STDs.